So photographs of Madonna’s Givenchy butt are flooding news outlets. It is as perky as Brad Goreski at a sample sale at eight in the morning, but people are telling her to dress her age.

We’ve seen older celebrities dust off their active tracksuits and make popular comebacks, but in Madonna’s case, she’s only 56. She’s not being quirky, she’s just being hot and spreading her legs on a chair. Unfortunately, this sets off a chain of insults ranging from “put some clothes on grandma,” and “you’re too old to dress like that.”

Just because she exists in a constant state of a squat and can still fit into a matador getup doesn’t mean she’s “clinging to her youth.” She’s simply extremely physically fit and physically passionate. At her age, sexuality is probably something she’s more comfortable with than her fashion critics are. If you don’t care for her outfit, fine, but she doesn’t need to suppress the desire to flaunt how cut she is because of her age.

People are decrying her exhibitionism. They say it’s desperate, and shameless to show off her body at the Grammy Awards of all distinguished evenings. We’re not supposed to police women’s clothing when they’re young, but doing it when they’re older is fair game?

Her current disciple, Miley Cyrus, can cut her wardrobe down to some soap suds and whatever coverage a nearby little person provides, but Madonna has to follow different rules: a tuxedo, a brooch, and underwear. Everyone’s fine giving Betty White permission to Instagram selfies that show her drinking from a pimp cup (not “distinguished” behavior), but Madonna flashing the world with her body is a scandal. She probably knew it would cause a stir. It really shouldn’t be so surprising to see a provocateur showing skin. The fact is this: No one should expect the woman famous for church sex party music videos and onstage self-pleasure to be embracing her “dignified” pants-suit age.

Whatever her regimen is, she continues to reinvent herself, and she still looks like Madonna. So she didn’t choose Netflix marathons over actual marathons like the rest of us have. She is fighting time. Why shouldn’t she embrace this? Stop bashing Madonna for working it. She’ll probably outlive the little girl in that Sia video.

Reprinted with permission from Styleite. Want more? Check out these related stories: